Broken strut bar mount - Toyota GR86, 86, FR-S and Subaru BRZ Forum & Owners Community

Jonsey · 05-15-2016, 01:45 PM

Just thought I would share this as I don't recall having seen others with this issue before.

Started hearing a clunking noise driving home Thursday night that sounded like it was coming from the front suspension. Car has been tracked many times so I figured something was wearing out or finally giving in. After pushing and pulling on many things, I figured out the passenger side strut bar mount had broken where three of the spot welds were and had sheared the fourth spot weld. The strut bar mounts are really only held on by the factory with four spot welds...

I have been running the GS strut bar for a year or two now. I am going to weld the mount back on and then find a strut bar that mounts using the three screws for the actual strut mounts.

redlined600 · 05-15-2016, 09:55 PM

Had the car been previously crashed? Do you hit a lot of curbing?

Jonsey · 05-16-2016, 02:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by redlined600

Had the car been previously crashed? Do you hit a lot of curbing?

Car has never been crashed and don't hit much curbing. It has been several months since I have been to the track and I can't remember hitting any bump that I thought was particularly jarring.

mrk1 · 05-16-2016, 08:33 AM

I'm surprised this doesn't happen more, its just spot welds.

continuecrushing · 05-21-2016, 02:11 PM

whoa narly!

GrimmSpeed · 05-25-2016, 10:43 AM

Whoa, that's something we haven't seen before! Including all the other designs that have adopted the same mounting method. We've had ours on our car, run hard, for 3 years now and no signs of anything like that.

I'm guessing it has something to do with the track time and curbing that may have fatigued those spot welds, but it could also be a vehicle defect. We'll keep an eye out for any other failures, but we do not expect them as these pick up points were designed to handle lateral loads, as well as braking loads!

Chase
Engineering

JazzleSAURUS · 05-25-2016, 11:18 AM

Geez. This makes me want to get out ye olde welder...

stevesnj · 05-25-2016, 07:27 PM

Hmmm might be why STi developed the flex joint brace.

Here's an older thread about the STi brace and how good it is. Also reading around it seems solid braces are meant mostly for track use where this flex design allows for potholes, rougher roads and vertical forces typically not experienced on the track. It may be vertical movement that could of caused this break not horizontal. I'm still reading up on all this.

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=22441

sw20kosh · 05-25-2016, 07:39 PM

Grim bar is too good.

krayzie · 06-08-2016, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevesnj

Hmmm might be why STi developed the flex joint brace.

Here's an older thread about the STi brace and how good it is. Also reading around it seems solid braces are meant mostly for track use where this flex design allows for potholes, rougher roads and vertical forces typically not experienced on the track. It may be vertical movement that could of caused this break not horizontal. I'm still reading up on all this.

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=22441

You can see that the TRD tower bar is carbon fiber, which also allows for vertical movement (we are talking about millimeters here) with flex but prohibits horizontal deflection.

Old STI tower bars were either made out of carbon fiber or titanium with the same idea in mind and they have been around since the 90's.

You get what you paid for.

stevesnj · 06-09-2016, 08:48 PM

Yeh a solid bar preventing vertical movement could be damaging in a street car. Interesting

grodenglaive · 06-09-2016, 09:08 PM

Oh that's why "flexible" strut bar!
For the life of me I couldn't figure out why anyone would make a flexible strut bar - it seemed to defeat the purpose. Good to know.

krayzie · 06-09-2016, 10:25 PM

Well the Nurburgring isn't a perfectly flat track either.

axelthrasher · 06-10-2016, 12:44 PM

At least it should be a pretty easy fix - obviously have a beat laid (welded) around as much of it as there can be and paint it to prevent rust. At least it's something track folk know to look out for now...

05-15-2016, 01:45 PM	#1
Jonsey Senior Member Join Date: May 2014 Drives: 2013 FR-S Location: DFW Posts: 272 Thanks: 369 Thanked 216 Times in 112 Posts Mentioned: 20 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	Broken strut bar mount Just thought I would share this as I don't recall having seen others with this issue before. Started hearing a clunking noise driving home Thursday night that sounded like it was coming from the front suspension. Car has been tracked many times so I figured something was wearing out or finally giving in. After pushing and pulling on many things, I figured out the passenger side strut bar mount had broken where three of the spot welds were and had sheared the fourth spot weld. The strut bar mounts are really only held on by the factory with four spot welds... I have been running the GS strut bar for a year or two now. I am going to weld the mount back on and then find a strut bar that mounts using the three screws for the actual strut mounts. __________________ "It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt." Mark Twain

05-15-2016, 09:55 PM	#2
redlined600 Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2014 Drives: Fr-s Location: MN Posts: 732 Thanks: 125 Thanked 492 Times in 266 Posts Mentioned: 5 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	Had the car been previously crashed? Do you hit a lot of curbing? __________________ Build log

05-16-2016, 08:33 AM	#4
mrk1 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Drives: Sterling BRZ Ltd Location: New England Posts: 1,702 Thanks: 403 Thanked 1,389 Times in 671 Posts Mentioned: 20 Post(s) Tagged: 2 Thread(s)	I'm surprised this doesn't happen more, its just spot welds. __________________ The Build Thread GT28RS - eBoost2 - 3.91 Final Drive - Supra LSD

05-25-2016, 11:18 AM	#7
JazzleSAURUS Senior Member Join Date: May 2015 Drives: 15 BRZ LTD, 05 FXT Location: Western MA Posts: 1,032 Thanks: 561 Thanked 558 Times in 351 Posts Mentioned: 9 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	Geez. This makes me want to get out ye olde welder... __________________ SOLD: 2015 WRB BRZ Limited ('02 WRX BBS, S-04's, Stoptech Sport pads, MXP SP, AVO drop in filter, Mishimoto Intake tube, decatted header, OFT 93 Stage 2 EL Tune, Kartboy rear shifter bushing, Whiteline transmission and subframe lockout bushings, ST Coilovers, SPC Camber bolts w/smaller crash bolt, SPC LCA's & SPC Toe Arm bushings, Red TOMs, TRD Wing.)

05-25-2016, 07:27 PM	#8
stevesnj Senior Member Join Date: May 2013 Drives: 2016 FR-S Oceanic Blue Location: Southern NJ Posts: 2,958 Thanks: 2,158 Thanked 1,601 Times in 923 Posts Mentioned: 30 Post(s) Tagged: 2 Thread(s)	Hmmm might be why STi developed the flex joint brace. Here's an older thread about the STi brace and how good it is. Also reading around it seems solid braces are meant mostly for track use where this flex design allows for potholes, rougher roads and vertical forces typically not experienced on the track. It may be vertical movement that could of caused this break not horizontal. I'm still reading up on all this. http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=22441 __________________ My 2016 Build thread TRD Exhaust with custom quad tips, TRD Lowering Springs,TRD Quick shifter,LED;DRL, Projectors, and turn signals. Re-badge, 86 Nanny, WinmaxW2 Pads, K&N Drop In, Antenna delete Last edited by stevesnj; 05-25-2016 at 07:54 PM.

05-21-2016, 02:11 PM	#5
continuecrushing Join Date: Mar 2013 Drives: 2013 Firestorm FRS Location: Lake Elsinore, CA Posts: 2,707 Thanks: 1,231 Thanked 2,144 Times in 1,003 Posts Mentioned: 73 Post(s) Tagged: 2 Thread(s)	whoa narly!

05-25-2016, 10:43 AM	#6
GrimmSpeed Join Date: Nov 2011 Drives: '13 BRZ, '12 WRX Location: Minneapolis, MN Posts: 1,676 Thanks: 271 Thanked 3,550 Times in 885 Posts Mentioned: 218 Post(s) Tagged: 4 Thread(s)	Whoa, that's something we haven't seen before! Including all the other designs that have adopted the same mounting method. We've had ours on our car, run hard, for 3 years now and no signs of anything like that. I'm guessing it has something to do with the track time and curbing that may have fatigued those spot welds, but it could also be a vehicle defect. We'll keep an eye out for any other failures, but we do not expect them as these pick up points were designed to handle lateral loads, as well as braking loads! Chase Engineering

05-25-2016, 07:39 PM	#9
sw20kosh Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Drives: 2013 Black FR-S Location: SF Posts: 3,030 Thanks: 881 Thanked 2,014 Times in 990 Posts Mentioned: 153 Post(s) Tagged: 1 Thread(s)	Grim bar is too good. __________________ 86DRIVE Challenge

06-09-2016, 08:48 PM	#11
stevesnj Senior Member Join Date: May 2013 Drives: 2016 FR-S Oceanic Blue Location: Southern NJ Posts: 2,958 Thanks: 2,158 Thanked 1,601 Times in 923 Posts Mentioned: 30 Post(s) Tagged: 2 Thread(s)	Yeh a solid bar preventing vertical movement could be damaging in a street car. Interesting __________________ My 2016 Build thread TRD Exhaust with custom quad tips, TRD Lowering Springs,TRD Quick shifter,LED;DRL, Projectors, and turn signals. Re-badge, 86 Nanny, WinmaxW2 Pads, K&N Drop In, Antenna delete

06-09-2016, 10:25 PM	#13
krayzie Drive From Home Join Date: Dec 2013 Drives: BRZ STI Performance Location: Filth City Posts: 4,914 Thanks: 2,368 Thanked 3,111 Times in 2,007 Posts Mentioned: 30 Post(s) Tagged: 1 Thread(s)	Well the Nurburgring isn't a perfectly flat track either.

06-10-2016, 12:44 PM	#14
axelthrasher Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2015 Drives: BRZ, 2 WRXs, 818S, motorcycles, etc Location: Saint Charles IL Posts: 178 Thanks: 0 Thanked 20 Times in 17 Posts Mentioned: 1 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	At least it should be a pretty easy fix - obviously have a beat laid (welded) around as much of it as there can be and paint it to prevent rust. At least it's something track folk know to look out for now...

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Bad Strut Mount Bearing	Estey	Suspension \| Chassis \| Brakes -- Sponsored by 949 Racing	10	02-22-2016 03:54 AM
Lowering Springs\|Alignment Kits\|Strut bar\|Sway Bars\|Strut Mount +More	SOURCE,LLC	Brakes, Suspension, Chassis	445	05-11-2015 05:41 PM
Need Advice: Broken strut mount stud...	cobrabyte	Suspension \| Chassis \| Brakes -- Sponsored by 949 Racing	27	12-22-2014 04:37 PM
HELP PLEASE! - A/C pulley mount broken, can I still safely drive the car?	NLSP	Engine, Exhaust, Transmission	4	11-01-2014 05:46 AM
Broken Stut mount Stud. Anyone Did This Before?	Figo	Issues \| Warranty \| Recalls / TSB	3	07-19-2013 10:29 AM

User Name		Remember Me?
Password